pulling handles

updated fri 30 mar 07

Tadeusz Westawic on fri 7 feb 97

Well, at what step do your problems begin?
How do you prepare your slug?

Try this:

Don't pull your handles with slug attached to piece until you get better
at it.

Use an oversize slug until you get better at it.

Don't use slugs prepared from coils or extruder until you get better at
it.

Wedge-up a stiff cone and quarter it radially, then gently toss them on
wedging table in such manner that the thick end hits table first and
then lays-out along long axis. This is hard to describe with words only,
but this step is only for getting rid of sharp edges from quartering
your cone.

ALWAYS pinch-off any lump forming at the bottom of your pull.

ALWAYS give-up on a pull that has a lump in the middle.

Be concientious in preparation of your handle clay, try to keep it as
dense as possible.

Practice ...

Hope this helps,

Tadzu
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> do I have to
> >try a thousand handles before I get it right? I seem to learn only by my
> >mistakes!
> >

Steve Irvine on thu 6 jan 05

The recent postings about handles reminded me of something Ruth McKinley once told me.
Ruth, a consummate craftsperson, used to pull most of her handles on her pots, and she said
that as a student exercise she taught herself to do this by pulling porcelain handles on red art
pots and vice versa. The point was to get the handle on the pot with as few finger smudges
as possible, and to have a handle that looks clean, deliberate and flowing from the pot.

Steve Irvine
http://www.steveirvine.com

clennell on thu 6 jan 05

> The recent postings about handles reminded me of something Ruth McKinley once
> told me.
> Ruth, a consummate craftsperson, used to pull most of her handles on her pots,
> and she said
> that as a student exercise she taught herself to do this by pulling porcelain
> handles on red art
> pots and vice versa. The point was to get the handle on the pot with as few
> finger smudges
> as possible, and to have a handle that looks clean, deliberate and flowing
> from the pot.
>
> Steve Irvine
> http://www.steveirvine.com

Steve: Visually, I love this idea! The key word in your sentence "clean'
is a point worth emphasising. Handles often look like they have been mauled
to death. This exercise would make the handle stand out.
I might try this however, I would use a light and dark stoneware so that the
pots can be saved or at least reclaimed. We have enough problems at Sheridan
with e-ware getting into the high temperature firings. It's hard to tell and
with 50 students making lots of work sometimes there is a melt down. The
first firing of the new $40,000 car kiln had an e-ware meltdown at the seal
of the door. Couldn't open it without some internal damage. Fingers got
pointed, blame was assigned and precautions taken.
Things that work for a studio potter are off limits in the classroom.
Someone is always not listening. Gee, that's a nice handle on that pool of
glaze.
I find a nice light salting can also show that important "clean" you
mention. Heavy salt and it's a cover up like a thick glaze.
Cheers,
Tony

Geoffrey Barst on thu 6 jan 05

If your clay is of the right plasticity you will need so little water to
lubricate the clay that you won't get water running down to your elbows!

Geoff Barst

LindaC on wed 28 mar 07

Dear Mark, No offence but I make handles which are very comfortable and well
made, however, I pull them separately from the pot, let them set up and then
attach to the pot. I can do handles either way and they end up comfortably
similar. Happy potting differences I suppose.... linda haibara/mentor, ohio
P.S. It was a sheer pleasure to meet all you Clayarters during the NCECA.
I had such a great experience because of you. Love, Linda